Edmund Street is one of a series of roads on the old Colmore Estate which originally stretched from Temple Row in the city centre, around St Phillip's Cathedral, to the northern end of Newhall Street.
Originally the estate surrounded New Hall which was occupied by the Colmore family.
It originally continued westwards to Suffolk Street, where it became Broad Street, but in the 1960s this part was redeveloped as Paradise Circus, part of the Inner Ring Road.
Much of Edmund Street is in the Colmore Row and Environs Conservation Area and has many listed buildings.
There is a short length of surviving Birmingham Corporation Tramways track between the two Council House/museum blocks.